All About Owen



I know we did some "Read about Reid" posts in the past and now I think little Owen needs a turn.  I couldn't think of anything clever to title it with an "O" so I am open to suggestions if anyone has one.  Anyway, back to the reason for this post, to tell you what we know so far about our sweet boy in just these two short weeks.

 

 

Owen in his "Rock and Play"! We love this thing!

1.  I prayed long and hard the whole pregnancy that Owen would be a good eater and sleeper, and he those were answered.  He is a CHAMPION sleeper, something I am so thankful for.  He will eat and fall right back to sleep at night.  He is a decent eater, not as avid of one as his brother was (who would eat until he threw up), he usually eats really good off of one side, and then decides its not much worth it on the other side and will get fed up and just spit the milk out. 

 

2.  He doesn't seem to have the extremely sensitive gag reflex his brother does.  He still spits up and gets the hiccups when we lay him flat after he eats, but nothing like what Reid did!  

 



Best Daddy around!

3.  He is a strong little boy, already practicing holding his head up.

 

4.  As of now he appears more laid back and easy going than Reid was.  Of course this could be attributed to the fact he was born 5 days earlier than Reid was (17 days before his due date).  He stays awake right after 2 or so feedings, but just can't handle waking up after the others.  I am expecting this to change though.  

 

 

 

5.  He doesn't really ever cry (yet).  Like his brother (and even more so) grunting is his love language, and he will sit there about 20 minutes before a feeding at night and grunt and get worked up for eating.

 

 

6.  He hates a sponge bath!  Though I have yet to meet a baby who really likes it. 

 

7.  He is my snuggle bunny.  He loves to be up close to you, and enjoys falling asleep tight in your arms.  I am totally ok with this, as Reid much more prefered to be out and looking around at everything.  

 

 



9.  He is a "red man" and will turn beet red at times!  Kyndall told me he looks like Bob the tomatoe off of veggie tales when this happens!

10.  We went to his 2 week appointment at the doctor and according to Dr. Hudson, he "looks awesome"!  He is 8lbs 2 oz, and in the 54th percentile for his length!  So grateful for  my hubby's tall genes! 

11.  Nursing is going SSSSOOOO much better this time around.  I think I am in a much better place mentally, more ready for this baby, and I had really prayed it up.  I just remember hating breastfeeding with Reid and giving him a bottle when he was like 3 days old!  Not so with this little man, already two weeks old and no bottle yet.  I am so dreading giving him one too.  I think this is probably because in my head I associate him having a bottle with me going back to work, and that is something I just don't want to even think about/prepare for. 

Of course, life is still going on in different areas than just this little guy, namely in the life of one very good big brother!  I am not going to lie and say it wasn't an adjustment/ still is one, but Reid has been an awesome big brother!  He is my big helper, throwing away diapers, putting clothes in the hamper, "obey mommy and daddy" on a regular basis, and just loves Owen to pieces.  He gives him sweet sugars, and tells me when he needs his paci (which in his mind is often lol), and can't wait for him to really play with him. 



Trying to tire this boy out by writing "R-E-I-D"

 

What has been difficult is getting his schedule coordinated, and tiring Reid out when I am exhausted myself.  Reid has at times not napped (he will just stay in his bed and talk the entire time) and that makes for rough nights.  I swear he knows when Mark isn't going to be home because that is the day he does it.  We are working through it.  The mornings are the hardest when I know I have to get up and get Reid up so he will nap, even though I am dog tired! 

He ate all his lunch so he got a "pea-butter 'poon" for dessert (peanut butter spoon for those not fluent in Reid)

All in all I am so thankful to have two precious boys!  They are gifts from God and I wouldn't change them for the world.  I pray I can continue to be the mom God has called me to be with two and that I would enjoy these years mothering in the trenches, because I know that even though the days are long, the years are short, and I don't want to totally wish them away!



 



Introducing Owen Blake

Introducing to my little blogging world, Mr. Owen Blake Clifton.  We are so excited that he is here and doing so well.  Here is a little picture of our sweet man! 

 

 

We will see how far into his birth story I can get before I am needed by the cutest two year old or the sweetest baby boy.

 

Once again I was successful in not going the full 40 weeks with this pregnancy.  Reid was born at 38 weeks 2 days, so that is about the time I was excpecting this little guy to make his appearance.  However, this pregnancy had been very different from the beginning and we new very early on he rode very low.  I constantly felt him pushing on my hips, and whenever we had ultrasounds they always had to travel much further down my torso than they ever did with Reid man. 

 

Needless to say, I knew that when it happen, it would happen fast.  I had a doctor's appointment at 37 weeks, and I told Mark a couple of weeks before hand, "the time they mess with me, is going to be the time I go into labor."  I go in to the room and find out they are going to check me, and instantly get nervous.  I think about asking them not to, but decide he is the doctor and he knows what is best.  True to what we already knew he had to go under his head to see how far along I was.  Turns out I was 3 centimeters dilated already and 70% effaced!  I was floored.  I knew I was probably dilated, but had no idea it would be that much! I asked if it was ok if I went to work and all and he said yes, that it wasn't really an indicator of impending labor. 

 

So the next day is Thursday and I go to teach school, Mark goes to Shreveport, and everything is just like normal.  In fact I even am evaluated by my principal.  At lunch I think I have a contraction or two but nothing major so I don't worry really, just know where I am at in the back of my mind.  Mark and I talk and discuss whehter or not he should stay in Shreveport like he does every Thursday or come back.  He decides he doesn't feel right about staying and comes home.  We go eat at my grandmother's house, and I am still feeling a little strange and begin to notice tightening in my stomach.  I don't think much because it doesn't really seem to be consistent. 

 

We go home, get Reid in bed and sit down to watch a movie.  It is then I decide to start timing contractions.  They aren't hurting, just a tightening at the top, but they are coming every 30 minutes, then every 15, then every 10 in about a 2 hour span.  It is then I tell Mark what is going on, that I don't think it is anything, but just to keep it in his mind.  We go to sleep and they are still about 10 minutes apart at 10:00.  I stay awake and time them as much as I can.  About 12 I wake Mark up and say they have moved down low and are feeling more uncomfortable.  We debate going to the hospital, but I eventually tell him to go back to sleep since there is nothing we can do.  From here they kinda go sparadic, so I try to go to sleep.  Around 2:30 after an hour of sleep, they wake me up again and are about 5 minutes apart.  I begin timing them and decide to get up and walk around and see if that makes a difference.  I do that for about 30 minutes and they move to 3 and a half minutes apart.  I do this for another 30 minutes and then wake Mark up and explain everything.  We debate going in because we really don't wanna be sent back home, but knowing my quick labor history we decide to head in anyway. 

 

So we leave at 4:30 AM on Friday January 18th.  We get to the hospital and find out I am contracting, but am still at a 3.  They wont let me get up and walk or anything because I am 37 weeks.  The doctor says if there is no change in an hour we have to go home.  So an hour goes by and I am found to be a 4, which is something we had been praying would happen if it is God's timing.  Apparently that wasn't enough change for the doctor because he tells them to give me another hour and if there is no change I still go back home.  So once again we pray, contract, and wait.  By this time it is 7 or so.  They come back at 8, and I am a five and they decide it is good enough and I'm staying.  They begin an IV for fluids for an epidural and get that process started. 

 

The anesthesiologist comes in to do an epi, which they have to do twice, because the first time they hit a vein in the epidural space.  So that takes twice as long, and is extremely uncomfortable, because of leaning over.  That begins to take effect and makes me feel light headed and sick, and makes my legs feel WEIRD.  It felt like your face after you have had novacain at the dentist.  They never really went completely numb, just felt asleep.  I felt like I needed to move them or keep contracting them or something, it was strange.  In fact when the doctor came in he made the comment "You do not look comfortable, you're supposed to be comfortable right now."  I'm at a 7 and he breaks my water, and says he will come back and if I have progressed then that's great, and if not then we will do pitocin.  I am so confident that it will be no problem because of Reid's birth.  However and hour later he comes back and I am still at a 7!!!  I was in shock.  They start the pit and tell me when I start feeling pressure to call.  I told him after he checked me that something felt different and I did already feel pressure, but apparently they didn't believe me.  Well 15 minutes after the pit was started I tell Mark I am feeling a lot of pressure.

 

We call the nurse back in, and she checks me, which REALLY REALLY begins to make things feel not so good.  I am at a 10 and ready to push.  It is then I begin tell Mark I can't do it, that it is going to hurt like last time, and in general just begin to freak out a little.  We begin pushing and luckily it doesn't last incredibly long because I can once again feel, especially in my bottom.  I keep telling Mark I can't do it, and don't want to do it, and scream through each push.  After the first push they tell me they can see the top of his head.  We keep going and after a couple more pushes his head is finally out.  Apparently I was pretty loud and had Mark by the shirt haha.  They told me to put my hands under my legs and chin to my chest and I told them "No!" Another push had his shoulders out, and they start telling me to look down because he is here!  That was probably one of the neatest scenes, watching your child come in to the world.  I never saw it with Reid and honestly probably wouldn't have cared because of all the hurting and emotions that were happening at the time.  At 2:51 Owen Blake made his grand entrance, red faced, and full of cheeks.  In fact that was one of the first things the nurse and doctor said was "Oh my look at his cheeks!"

 

This was once again one of the craziest experiences of my life.  Emotionally I was much more prepared this go around, and it was just completely life changing once again.  We are all doing well, getting un-sore, and settled down and adjusted.  Please pray for Reid as he is adjusting and for me as I am home for a while with both kiddos. 

 



The New Year

I cannot believe that 2013 is here.  Honestly it seems every year I turn around and Christmas is over before we know it and the new year has snuck up on us.  There are so many good things that will happen this year, I am just excited to get it started.

To be honest 2012 was one of the hardest years I have ever had to go through.  It's been rough, with some unexpected bumps and bruises along the way.  I am so grateful that I couldn't really foresee what all would happen because I think I would have run and hid somewhere and said "wake me up in summer 2013!"  We have learned it is very hard to live off a teacher's salary when you have to worry about driving an hour each way for Mark for school and the gas that uses each month, daycare, rent, food, electricity, insurance and all those weird things that come up like two tickets, school expenses, and broken collar bones lol.

However 2012 brought us a bright, bubbly 2 year old who has had to go through more changes than I would have ever liked for him to do in his young little life, but he has done brilliantly.  Our marriage has grown stronger as a result of everything and for that I rejoice!  We have enjoyed a healthy pregnancy with our second son and cannot wait to meet him in a few weeks.  My cousin had a sweet baby girl who is healthy and doing brilliantly.  After just a few weeks at the school for the new year I will be able to hold my sweet baby boy and have some time off with both boys.  Then it is back for 2 months until summer hits, Mark graduates, and we are able to start the life we have been wanting to have since that time the previous year.  We are so excited for that.

Mark and I were talking about how we are "halfway done" and just how we can't believe we actually are doing it.  We actually left a job he enjoyed to pursue a dream, I actually left my home which I loved to go to work, we are actually halfway done with this year, and we have made it.  I am so grateful to our Lord who has seen us through.  I will not say it has been easy, that I haven't had my doubts or shed many many tears, but we are on the downhill slope!  Thank you to all friends and family who have helped us along the way and prayed for us.  We are grateful for you and your faithfulness.  Stay tuned for a little brother here pretty soon, but for now I am spending the last weekday I have with just my first born playing with him.

Merry Christmas 2012

 

Merry Christmas from the Cliftons!  We hope your holiday has been very Merry and Bright, and without any broken bones, because ours did consist of the latter.  On Sunday afternoon Mark broke his collar bone while he and my dad were out on a bicycle ride.  They were on their way back at the end of their ride, about 100 yards or so from the yard when a dog from a neighbor came after them.  Mark took a swing at him, which caused him to fall off his bike and onto his shoulder, hence breaking his collar bone.  We went to emergency room and were told what we already knew, it was broken and that we would need to see an orthopedic surgeon.  However we couldn't get in until after the holidays. So here he is, all slung up, looking at christmas presents that all have to do with working out which he cannot do for a while.  Poor guy.

 

 

We went to my grandparents house on Christmas Eve and this was just one of the many games we played called "Headbands"

Our Christmas tree this morning.  It was a small and sweet Christmas for the Clifton's this year, and while I debated even putting up pictures, I wanted to remember this year, what it has meant to be halfway through it so far, and how  this year looked. Reid had a wonderful Christmas anyway and we enjoyed watching him open presents.

He opened candy first and that was all he was interested in the whole time.

He loves to sweep, but adult brooms are too big and he often gets mad at them, so I got him a toddler broom!

 

Lastly he got a sandbox.  He wasn't that impressed, but he will be.

It also snowed this Christmas!  Reid had a blast playing in it.  I will be uploading pictures tomorrow from our Christmas stay in Tyler!

Belated Update

I know it has been a while since I updated.  To be honest our life has been crazy, and I have just not been in the mood for an update.  I feel as if I cannot be completely honest yet still, and so that makes me not want to write anything.  However, I know I will look back and wish I had more evidence about this time in our lives, especially as children are concerned.  So I will try to be as upbeat and positive as possible, even if it is not exactly how I am feeling.

Reid is now 2!  I honestly cannot believe it!  Seriously, when did this sweet bouncing baby boy grow up in to a toddler?  It floors me to think I have a 2 year old!  Am I old enough to have a two year old even?  He has learned to do so many new things too.  You always hear about the "terrible twos" (and not to say my kid is an angel, because he is far from it and we DEFINITELY have our struggles) but hardly anyone tells you how much fun two can be!  He is such a sponge, soaking up everything and anything we can throw at him.  He can talk in (mostly) complete simple sentences.  He is still one of the most coordinated kids I know, running, jumping, and throwing like a pro.  He has recently discovered the "run fast" and "get you" game, which he squeals with delight any time we play them.  He enjoys reading stories, and seeing family.  New playmates are always the best, and he badgers people until they play with him.  He is still sleeping in his big bed, not getting out until we go in a get him in the mornings (I attribute this wonderfulness to blanket time training!).  He is getting pickier with his eating habits, something I hope goes away soon.  He loves sweets, starches, and carbs, (and some fruit lol) so we are working on other foods.

"New Baby" is in week 25 in utero, and doing well.  For those of you who don't know we are having another little boy.  We have decided to name him Kason Lane (call him Kase at times) and are so excited about his arrival.  Of course we are nervous about going from one kid to two, and about "starting all over" again, we are ready to experience all the fun things we have already experienced with the Reid-Man.  I go in again in the middle of November to do the glucose test and to get another 4D ultrasound.  I am excited because this go around he will be so much bigger and we will see his little features better.  I am also excited because Mark will get to come with me since it is during Thanksgiving Break.

Speaking of Mark, he is doing pretty good. He starts clinicals this week, something he so is excited for. These past 3 months of class have been brutal, and he has been studying non-stop, taking tests constantly, just swamped in general.  He is still the best daddy, and now that Reid is a toddler, now has a constant shadow and little buddy following him around.  He travels to Shreveport on a daily basis, and stays with friends there two nights out of the week.  Makes for some lonely nights, but thankfully I have wonderful family to keep me occupied and fed.  Reid misses him too when he is gone which is never fun.  Hopefully this 5 week break, when all of us will at least be in the same city will be just the boost we need to make this final push into Christmas Break for him.  Please be in prayer for him, as he finishes, as he drives (that gas would go down too), and as he continues to lead our family like always.  I am continually impressed by what a wonderful parent he is and he is becoming.  I couldn't ask for better.

As far as I am concerned, I am doing ok.  Work is stressful, and ALWAYS busy.  Luckily I have a pretty good group of kids, and I feel a little bit more like I know what is going on this time around.  I do so miss being at home with my baby boy though.  I am glad to have had the time with him that I did.  I am ready for thanksgiving break so I can be with him all day again!

Well that is about all.  I will try to get some pictures up here pretty soon!

Change Is a Comin'

Hello fellow readers!  Please join me in welcoming myself back from the depths of nothingness, with no posts to speak of for months at a time.  Hopefully though that will all be changing because I am currently typing this from my bed!  Yes you read that right my bed, the Cliftons have internet in their house after two years.  Can I get a whoop, whoop?  So now hopefully posts will be coming much more often.

So everything has been changing around here, and it has been happening for a while.  That is actually part of the reason I didn't write as frequently as well because I couldn't share what was going on, since most of it had been up in the air the past year.  However we now know what it all should look like for the most part, so here goes a long post kind of breaking that all down.

The first thing needed to know is that Mark has stepped down from his youth ministry job at the church.  This was so bittersweet because we knew what God was telling us to do but it was so hard to leave a group we have watched literally grow up and mature right before our eyes the past three and a half years.  We saw this group of kids go from the faithful 10 that were left still meeting when we came, to a group that has anywhere for 70-90 students on a Wednesday during the school year.  We left with a church behind us, loving us and sending us out.  It was a sweet time, one we will not forget.

The reason Mark left though was to go back to school for a year to earn his Physical Therapy Assistant degree (PTA for short).  This has been something a year in the making with taking prerequisites and applying to get into the program.  140 people apply, 50 interviews are conducted, and 20 get in.  Mark happened to happily be one of the 20!  What a wonderful accomplishment just to get in, I was so proud of him!  So he started school with a summer session at the beginning of July and just finished it yesterday.  He knows he will have an "A" in one class and thinks he might in the other, which came only from hard work and studying every night.  The school is located in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, which is about an hour and fifteen minute drive from our house.  He goes everyday 8-4:30, and will stay with friends a couple of days throughout the week to cut down on gas costs.  We are excited he will be done 1 year from now (instead of the usual 2) and are ready for him to start doing this new found joy.  He is essentially doing this so he can help lead worship for a church plant/church that can't pay their ministers, and take care of our family.

All of this is good and well except for the fact we had no income.  This was a disheartening situation for a little while, not knowing what was going to happen.  It was looking like we would be living with my parents for a year and just not spending ANYTHING and try to make it off of what we have saved.  However, the Lord had other plans and last week I was accepted for a job to teach 1st grade at a school in Marshall for this upcoming school year.  The Lord is good and knows what we need.  This was a hard decision for me though, simply because I absolutely love staying home with my little guy, it is where I know God has called me to be.  However, this opportunity arose and we felt like this is what we should be doing.  It will be so hard to have to leave Reid everyday, but I know it is for the long run and betterment of our family, so it is becoming more and more ok.

Getting a job may not be as easy as you were thinking it would be, for one very specific reason (and not that I was out of the profession for 2 years).  This is the reason right here :)

Yes, that is a picture of my uterus with the newest little addition to the Clifton family!  We are so excited and beyond thrilled to be expecting this little one!  We went to the doctor at 10 weeks and everything looked great!  It was so funny to watch this little one being so active.  Reid was never very active in my belly, so much so I would worry until he got the hiccups (which he did a lot) and let me know he was still ok.  I don't think it will be the same with this one if what we say on this first ultrasound was any indication!  Granted we never saw Reid at 10 weeks only at 6, 16, and 24, but this baby was moving around like crazy!!  Kicking legs and flailing arms, and trying to do back bends to move its big head.  We have dubbed him/her "new baby" until we know for sure what it is.

This pregnancy has been different so far, which I find funny.  I have felt much much more queasy this go round than I ever did with Reid.  I haven't thrown up, but I have wanted to, which I was never an occurrence the first time around.  I usually start feeling nauseous around 5:30 in the evening (or at least more intense nausea that is) and that lasts until I go to bed and happen to fall asleep.  "New Baby" also has an aversion to sweets, which if any of you know me at all, know that this is strange indeed.  I love all things chocolate, gooey, and yummy, so to have those not make me feel good is sad.  And the strangest thing is I am having to reroute my brain because it still says a double stuffed oreo is the best thing known to man, but if I eat one I am reminded New Baby does not think so.

If you ask Reid if he wants a baby brother, baby sister, or Mama to have a baby he will reply to each with a quick "No m'am" or "Nope".  I think he has another thing coming poor guy.  He will get better.  He will point to my belly if you ask where Mama's baby is (and his own if you ask where his is).  He is doing so good, getting so smart, and so independent.  He knows all his colors, can kind of count to 10 (with help), loves to swim, loves shoes, balls, and is just a great little guy.  Here are a few pictures of him.

Swimming with Daddy and Ty

He loves to wear these baskets on his head

Came out of his room with his bag and football and told me "Me go-go!"

First night in his big boy bed!  He is so grown up!

Oh I almost forgot, in the middle of all this, we have moved to a rent house my grandparents own.  The house we were living in was part of the salary package with the church so we had to move out.  Our new place is bigger which is nice, a room for everyone! I will post pictures was a I get them.  Here is Reid's room with his big boy bed!

Sorry for the poor quality of pictures, they are from my iphone.

This Year

Wow, I know it has been a while, a very long while, since I have said much of anything.  A lot of things have been going on around here, stuff that I am anxious to write about, but haven't made the time to do so.  This post will not be the one where that happens either, sorry to say.  All in good time my dears, all in good time.

What you should know is that our family is doing great.  Reid is growing like a weed, which has me finding myself wishing I could stop time most days.  I am still absolutely loving getting to stay home with this great little guy, I literally thank God daily for this blessing.  We have had many fun times with our families, including 42 games, easter, weddings, you name it we have done it!  I could not ask for a more flexible kiddo, he really goes with the flow well.  I am so enjoying sleeping through the night and having a toddler.

I know this is a just a jumbled mess, but that is how I am feeling at the moment.  Hopefully my next post will be a little more thought out.  Until then I will leave you with a few pictures and videos.  The videos are from our church wide easter egg hunt.  I wasn't there so Mark took them for me.  The pictures are of an Easter get together we had with friends and family.  The cute little red head girl is Genna, Reid's buddy and she is adorable!  The next are just some we took on Easter afternoon.